American Airmen in Algiers stand at attention while Lt. Col. Elliott Roosevelt receives the Distinguished Flying Cross for outstanding services performed by his Group in the African Campaign. [Note B-17E 41-9045 'Stinky' at laft of frame, with B-24D 41-11768 'Kickapoo' at back of frame].
NARA Ref 342-FH-3A28693-C23665AC.
Globerotter: B-17E serial 41-9045 "Stinky" was one of the original ships in the 8th AF Bomber Command's debut in England, flying with the 97th BG. In September 1942 she was one of a number of "E" models swapped with the newly arrived 92nd BG for more capable B-17Fs. "Stinky" soldiered on with what would best be described as a "special mission" capability, often carrying high-ranking personnel. She was written off in a non-fatal forced landing accident in Athenry, Ireland on 15 January 1943.

Captain John S. Young in the cockpit of a production line B-24 Liberator at the Consolidated Vultee Plant at Fort Worth, Texas, in 1945.
Capt. John S. Young was Col. John R. Kane's copilot on the B-24D, 'Hail Columbia' on Operarion Tidal Wave over Ploesti, Romania, August 1,1943. Col. Kane and Capt. Young successfully bombed their target, White IV, the Astra Romano Oil Refinery, fought their way out of the Ploesti target area, and successfully flew their crippled B-24 back to the British air base at Nicosia, Cyprus, crash landing 'Hail Columbia' at Nicosia.

B-24 liberator #41-11768, 'Kickapoo', of the 344th Bombing Squadron, 98th Bomb Group, 9th Air Force. This was Lt. John S. Young's second regular aircraft after he lost his first B-24 in theater, which was shot down earlier in 1943 in an air fight near the island of Crete. Later in August of '43, for Operation Tidal Wave, the low-level mission against Ploesti, Lt. Young and most of his regular crew on the 'Kickapoo' were assigned by Col. John R. Kane to fly with him in the 98th's lead ship, the B-24, 'Hail Columbia', renamed by Kane for his alma mater, Columbia University. The 'Kickapoo' was reassigned to the 376th Bomb Group's Lt. Robert Nespor and a replacement crew for the mission. But fate dealt Lt. Nespor and his crew a very bad hand when 'Kickapoo''s number 4 engine failed at the worst possible time, on takeoff just after getting airborne for the mission. Lt. Nespor was killed desperately trying to maneuver and guide the 'Kickapoo', his stricken and now burning B-24 back to land, trying heroically to save his valuable ship instead of ditching it in the Mediterranean Sea. After jettisoning all of his bombs over the water, Nespor requested being guided back to the field for an emergency landing, but was forced to abort and circle around, due to conflicting aircraft on the runway. He again made a second approach the field from the West. In doing so, he lost power in his remaining three engines. Now on fire and sinking with no power, 'Kickapoo''s wing tip clipped a concrete pole on short final approach, cartwheeling the plane into the ground where it exploded in flames, killing Lt. Nespor, copilot Lt. John Riley, and all but two of the rest of the crew, who survived despite severe burns. The photo above, of the crew standing in front of 41-11768, shows Lt. John Young on the far right hand side of this photo and his crew, the original crew of 'Kickapoo', which was named by Young after "Kickapoo Joy Juice" from Al Capp's cartoon, "Dogpatch". Also pictured are Lt. Norman, "The Baron", Whalen, his navigator, and Lt. Harold Korger, his bombardier, all hand picked by Col. John R. Kane to fly with him in 'Hail Columbia' along with the rest of Young's crew. - John Kane, John Young, and all the men in 'Hail Columbia' survived the Ploesti mission without injury. The 98th Bomb Group sustained 46 percent casualties over his target at Ploesti, the Astra Romana refinery, code named, "White IV".
- Lt. John S. Young - Pilot - Reassigned to 'Hail Columbia' for Ploesti mission
- Lt. Norman M. Whalen - Navigator - Reassigned to 'Hail Columbia' for Ploesti mission - Lt. Harold F. Korger - Bombardier - Reassigned to 'Hail Columbia' for Ploesti mission - Fredrick A. Leard - Waist Gunner - Reassigned to 'Hail Columbia' for Ploesti Mission - William Leo - Tail Gunner - Reassigned to 'Hail Columbia' for Ploesti mission - Raymond B. Hubbard - Radio Operator - Reassigned To 'Hail Columbia' for Ploesti mission - Joseph J. LaBranche - TB - Reassigned to 'Hail Columbia' for Ploesti mission - Harvey L. Treace - Engineer Top Turret - Reassigned to 'Hail Columbia' for Ploesti mission - Nevill C. Bensen - Waist Gunner - Reassigned to 'Hail Columbia' for Ploesti mission - 'Hail Columbia' completed mission, crash landed Cyprus. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------- 1st Lt. Robert J. Nespor - Pilot (KIA) - 2nd Lt. John C. Riley - Co Pilot (KIA) Detached Service from 93rd BG
2nd Lt. Russell W. Polivka - Navigator (WIA) D.S. from 93rd BG
T/Sgt. Vaun D. Wenrich - Engineer/Top Turret (KIA) D.S. from 93rd BG T/Sgt. Armand R. Massart - Radio Op (KIA) D.S. from 93rd BG
S/Sgt. George W. Lawlor - Gunner (KIA) D.S. from 93rd BG S/Sgt. Edwin G. Sliwa - Gunner (KIA) D.S. from 93rd BG
S/Sgt. Eugene R. Garner - Gunner (WIA) D.S. from 93rd BG S/Sgt. John P. D'Armour - Gunner (KIA) D.S. from 93rd BG. ~ 'Kickapoo' crashed on takeoff for Ploesti mission.

Service

Units

Established as a B-24 Liberator heavy bomb squadron and trained by Third Air Force. Deployed to Egypt in June 1942 over South Atlantic Transport Route transiting from Morrison Field, Florida though the Caribbean to Brazil; performed trans-Atlantic...

People

Military | Staff Sergeant | Gunner | 93rd Bomb GroupCrew member of B-24 liberator 41-11768 'Kickapoo' of 344th BS, 98th BG, 9th AF. Crashed shortly after take-off for the August 1, 43 low-level Ploesti, Romania mission. She lost an engine just after getting airborne and then caught fire while banking...

Military | Colonel | Bombardier | 98th Bomb GroupLt. Harold Korger was a bombardier in the 344th Bombardment Squadron, 98th Bomb Group, 9th AF on Capt. John Young's crew in a B-24 named 'Kickapoo'. He graduated from Bombardier School at Midland Field in 1942 and was commissioned a 2nd Lt. In February...

Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot B-24DLt. John Riley lost his life, as one of the first casualties of "Operation Tidal Wave" on August 1st, 1943, one of the biggest, most important, and most daring air raids of WWII, coming in at tree top level to destroy the Germans' Romanian oil...

Missions

1 August 1943Operation TIDAL WAVE. B24D Liberators attack the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania. The bombers flew low to avoid radar detection and dropped time delayed bombs. Out of the 177 B24Ds that took part in the raid 167 managed to attack their targets. 57...

Events

Event

Location

Date

Crashed

Benghazi, Libya

1 August 1943

Crashed shortly after take-off for the August 1, 43 low-level Ploesti, Romania mission. She lost No 4 engine just after getting airborne, after jettisoning all bombs at sea, Kickapoo was guided back for an emergency landing. Due to a conflicting aircraft on the runway, 1st Lt Nespor was forced to approach the field from the West. In doing so a wing tip smashed into a concrete pole and burst into flames, killing Nespor and all but two of the crew.

Nicknames

Kickapoo

Production block number

B-24D

Manufacturer

Consolidated-Vultee

Markings and paint scheme/livery

Aircraft painted in desert sand tan, which oxidized into a light pink color. National insignia was a white star with blue surround and wings with a red border around the entire insignia. 'Kickapoo' was painted in big block letters on both sides of the nose.

41-11768 This photo is the original crew of the Kickapoo. The Kickapoo was named by Capt. John S. Young from Dallas, Texas after "Kickapoo Joy Juice" from Al Capp's cartoon, Dogpatch. Capt. Young is on the far right hand side of this photo. He was the tallest man in the 98th Bomb Group at 6'3". Also pictured are Lt. Norman "The Baron" Whalen, his navigator, and Lt. Harold Korger, his bombardier. All three were hand picked by Col. John R. Kane to fly with him in the Hail Columbia for the mission over Ploesti, Rumania. All three men survived the mission and the war, as did Col. Kane.

41-11768 This photo is the original crew of the Kickapoo. The Kickapoo was named by Capt. John S. Young from Dallas, Texas after "Kickapoo Joy Juice" from Al Capp's cartoon, Dogpatch. Capt. Young is on the far right hand side of this photo. He was the tallest man in the 98th Bomb Group at 6'3". Also pictured are Lt. Norman "The Baron" Whalen, his navigator, and Lt. Harold Korger, his bombardier. All three were hand picked by Col. John R. Kane to fly with him in the Hail Columbia for the mission over Ploesti, Rumania. All three men survived the mission and the war, as did Col. Kane.